My 59th Herzog film, and somehow fitting cap to my Herzog journey. The film is both a look at the fascinating kitsch of amerika and also a comment on the despair of the consumerist pursuit of the amerikan dream bought on credit. We also get a handful of classic Herzogian visuals;

• Stupid chickens

• Car driving in circles, also seen in Even Dwarfs Started Small: “The vehicle-in-circles scene was inspired by an incident that occurred when Herzog worked as a steward at the Munich Oktoberfest as a young man. Part of his duty was ensuring that drunk patrons did not attempt to drive their cars home, so when a drunk man insisted that he was capable of driving, Herzog got into his car with him, placed the steering wheel on full lock, then got out of his car. The man passed out and the car continued to drive in a circle until it ran out of petrol.

• Auctioneers! It’s been too many months between seeing How Much Wood Could a Woodchuck Chuck, but I’m wondering if thats where Herzog sourced his trailer auctioneet.

After a little whirlwind of a holiday season, I find myself fighting off a cold or COVID, so I can’t keep my eyes open much longer, but Stroszek is a unique film amongst Herzog’s filmography. 59 films, all so piercing and surprising.